(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for operating an air conditioner using solar heat, and more particularly to a system and a method for operating an air conditioner using solar heat which sequentially operates and controls simple ventilation, air cleaning, seat temperature regulation, and a thermoelectric element module depending on magnitude of solar light.
(b) Background
When a vehicle is parked outside in a summer season for a long time, temperature of the cabin may abruptly increase because outside temperature is high. In this state, even when a passenger getting in the vehicle opens windows to ventilate it for a while, temperature of the cabin cannot easily go down, and so a passenger may feel uncomfortable. An apparatus for cooling or heating a seat may be used in order to control temperature of the seat at a suitable temperature. But there is a limit in performance of a thermoelectric element installed in the seat, so the thermoelectric module cannot effectively operate at a high temperature, and it cannot operate while a vehicle is turned off.
In addition, there might be explosions of a lighter or a battery of a cellular phone due to high temperature inside the cabin, and children or pets staying in the cabin of high temperature for a long time might be suffocated.
If temperature of the cabin increases, a large amount of volatile organic compounds may increase, thereby contaminating the air inside the cabin. Contaminants generated by smoking or foods may be adsorbed in the cabin to contaminate the cabin or generate odors. In addition, molds may form in condensed water remaining in an evaporator or a duct of an air conditioner after the vehicle is turned off, thereby generating odors.
Humidity in the air conditioner may increase by condensed water, so windows may be steamed up in an early stage of a vehicle operation.
There is thus a need for a system for operating an air conditioner using solar heat, which can reduce a difference between the inside and outside temperatures of a vehicle and provide more comfortable conditions by sequentially operating and controlling ventilation, air cleaning, seat temperature and inside temperature of a vehicle by magnitude of solar light.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.